Floating knife



R. L. SANDERS. FLOAT ING KNIFE.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 29, 1920.

1,386,956. PatentedAug. 9, 1921.

\ JAN (It I EQNVENTOR:

B Y i j f Maud Nouns.

one!) sT'rs RALPH LINCOLN SANDERS, or PLEAsANTVILLE, new Jen-say.

FLOATING KNIFE.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, RALPH LINCOLN SANonRs, a citizen of the United States, residing at Pleasantville, in the county of Atlantic, State of New Jersey, have invented a new and useful Floating Knife, of which the following is a specification.

My invention consists of a knife adapted for use more particularly by fishermen, it being so constructed that it will float in the water of a boat, a ship, or a pan, and hkewise, if dropped overboard will not sink and be inconvenient of access, in one instance, or be lost in the other instance, but the knife will be serviceable for cooks and others for evident purposes.

The invention is satisfactorily illustrated in the accompanying drawing, but the important instrumentalities thereof may be varied, and so it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the specific details shown and described, as long as they are within the spirit or scope of the claims.

Figure 1 represents a side elevation of a floating knife embodying my invention.

Fig. 2 represents a longitudinal section thereof. I

Fig. 3 represents an end view thereof.

Fig. 4 represents an enlarged diagrammatic view of opposite ends of the handle showing a wrapping employed on the handle, the former being in section showing also a manner of securing said wrapping in position on the handle.

Similar numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts in the figures.

Referring to the drawings,

1 designates the blade of the knife of usual metallic construction, and 2 designates the handle thereof, the latter being formed of separate pieces 3 and 4 of cork which extend in the longitudinal direction of the knife placed one against the other and have the tang 5 of the blade fitted between the inner faces of the pieces as most plainly shown in Fig. 2.

On the exterior faces of said pieces 3 and 4 is a wrapping 6 of cord which is wound tightly thereon especially in spiral direction, thus firmly drawing said pieces firmly together and against each other and con.- necting them as one and retaining the tang in positiontherebetween it being seen that the cork handle has sufliclent floatable power as to overcome the weight of the metal blade and tang, and the wrapping of cord,

- v Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Aug- 9, 1921 Application filed October 29, 1920. l

Serial No. 420,356.

and so the knife will float in water whether the latter is in a boat, a ship, or in apan,

tub, etc, or whether the knife is dropped overboard from a boat or ship, and so H it wlll not s1nk in the boat,"ship, etc., whereby it 1s convenient ofaccess, nor sink to the bottom of a river, ocean, etc., whereby it j may be reached and so saved. 7

In order to prevent the wrapping 6 from rotting and preserve its normal condition and holding power on the handle, it is coated with a waterproof composition, say shellac, this also keeping the convolutions of the wrapping firmly together and'causing them to adhere to the handle, and forming a soft, firm and comfortable grip for the user of the knife.

An end portion of the cord is formed r at the right hand end of the handle is cut close to the adjacent convolution of the cord and pushed thereunder and so concealed and covered and thus both terminals of the cord are'held firmly in place by the convolutions or wrappings of the'cord assisted by the coating which is adhesive in its nature,

it being evident that excepting the blade 1 and its tang there is a minimum of metal in the construction of the knife, while on the contrary there is a maximum of flotation in the cork handle over the blade and the wrapped cord for connecting the pieces of the handle, hence the knife is fioatable and without ability to sink in water no matter how it maybe placed therein when removed from the hand of the user or from overboard.

I am aware that handles of knives have been made of wood with metal bolsters, casings and rivets with an inclosed filling of cork, of wrappings of metallic wire, and also dropped there- 'of disks of leather clenched together, and.

of granulated cork and gum hot pressed into sheets wrapped around the steering arms of a bicycleto'form the handle thereof, but none of them is adapted to form a floatable object nor are they constructed after my manner, Wherefore I have made an improvement in the art as described above, and so What I claim as new and for Which I desire Letters Patent is 1. A knife composed of a blade and a handle, the latter being formed of pieces of cork, the tang of said blade being between said pieces, a wrapping of cord of fibrous material on the exterior of said pieces connecting the latter and a coating of Waterproof material on said Wrapping, said handle having a degree of flotation greater than the Weight of said blade and coated Wrapping whereby the knife as a unit is fioatable. u

2. A floatable knife composed of a blade connected at one end of the handle, and

Wrapped over by the main length of the cord and secured at the other end thereof to the adjacent convolutions, the handle having a degree of flotation greater than the Weight of the blade and said Wrapping whereby the knife as a unit is floatable.

v RALPH LINCOLN SANDERS. v

Witnesses CrrARLns W. lNGERsoLL, CLARA M. SANDERS. 

